A New Path
by Showstopper164
Summary: What would have happened if Rey had accepted Kylo's hand at the end of TLJ? Minor spoilers if you haven't seen the movie.
1. Chapter 1

A moment went by. A moment of doubt, of uncertainty but when it ended, their hands met. Rey looked into his eyes and saw the darkness retch. She knew that if she wanted to fight this war, she was going to have to do it from the other side.

Kylo smirked and released his grip. He knew the power in this girl was strong but he hadn't known how easy it was to obtain. She's just an orphan trying to find a place to belong, a place where people wanted her. He knew all too well on what it felt like to be unwanted… Maybe that was why the story he fed her actually worked.

"Let us begin anew, Rey."

Instead of responding, Rey turned for the entrance of the room. She was stepping into the grasps of the First Order, leaving behind the people who have fought for her, who have died for her. Already she knew that this wasn't going to be easy, that if she wanted to take down the First Order, she needed to be focused and ready for anything. The people of the Resistance would need to trust her, to have hope. This war was just beginning and her battles were destined to be fought on the other side.

Just as both bodies reached the entrance of the room, a shockwave hit them. With it brought silence. All matter upon the ship shifted as gravity itself seemed to have ripped. Within a millisecond it was over and the blaring noise of reality returned. Alarms blared throughout the ship, relaying critical damage had been done. Immediately Kylo turned to Rey and pinned her in mid air using the Force. She struggled to break free but kylo could already hear the footsteps coming.

General Hux, followed by four stormtroopers entered the room, but before they could take in the carnage that laid before them, Kylo turned and narrowed his gaze, having it fully focused on Hux.

"Restrain her and put her under maximum security. I order that she is watched at all times and is not to be underestimated. This is my first order as reigning Lord Supreme."

The general in response motioned to the troopers as they rushed to follow order.

"Snoke is dead," he stated as his eyes looked past Kylo Ren and onto the severed body of their old Supreme Leader, "and you let him die."

"She struck before anyone had the chance," Kylo sneered. It was a lie, but the only other person who knew the truth was fighting for the wrong side.

Hux turned to face the jedi, anger plastered on his face. "He is dead nonetheless and you were the one who allowed it. Who do you think you are calling yourself Supreme Leader?"

Kylo's hand shot up, tightening his force around the General's throat.

"I am the new leader of the First Order," with each word his grip got tighter, "and you will follow me or you can go die with the rebels."

The grip released and Hux fell to the floor gasping, heaving on his knees.

"Y-yes Supreme Leader."

* * *

The cell was cold. Almost as cold as that day in the forest; almost as cold as his heart. The same heart that had tricked her so easily. But Rey wouldn't allow this to be the end, it couldn't be. She took Kylo's hand for a reason, she knew that maybe in the slightest, he genuine and he really did want her by his side. Then again, slight chances weren't going to get her out of this cell, and the most certainly weren't going to save her from the death that most of the ship's crew thought she deserved.

* * *

 _~Hello! Thank you so much for reading! This is my first story so I'm sorry if things are a bit rough (I have no idea what I'm doing), but more chapters will be coming soon! Again, thank you!~_


	2. Chapter 2

The First Order must have learned from the last time they held Rey as prisoner. The cell she was locked in was made of sleek metal, starting from the floor and running up the back wall. The other three walls were made from what she assumed was blast proof glass. This way, the three storm stormtroopers as well as the sentry unit could have eyes on her at all times without the possibility of interaction or use of the Force.

Rey knew she wouldn't be getting out of this one. How could she? Kylo told them she had killed Snoke; he had created her into the enemy they so desperately needed. He had told her she meant something to him, little had she known that something was a scapegoat, a person to blame and take the fall for his uncontrollable actions. Anger began to boil in Rey's chest as the situation settled into her mind. The very anger Luke had told her to control. Realizing this, Rey sat down in the back of her cell, crossed her legs and meditate. Luke had told her during training that this was one of the most effective ways to control your emotions as well as organize your thoughts. A jedi needed a clear head he had told her. Too bad she wasn't one.

* * *

Kylo finally had it. He had the girl, he had the power, and he finally had no one looking down upon him anymore. But if this was everything he had strived for, why of all things did he begin to feel the slight pull of fear? It was beckoning him as he walked into the ship's frantic control room.

Attacks on the rebel ships had ceased as all focus went to salvaging the ship's basic functions. Apparently shockwave they had felt was a by the Rebel cruiser hitting them at lightspeed. This bisected the left side of the _Finalizer_ but fortunately didn't hit any vital mainframe components. Well, that could be said for his portion of the ship. Any crew members on the smaller portion would have been lost within the first couple of minutes after the collision due to loss of power and air supply. Those losses also don't account for the many fighters around the ship that were hit directly of by debris.

The hit wasn't crippling, though, for it didn't compare to what the rebels had suffered with only double digits remain among their flanks. So while the First Order suffered a scratch, the Rebels were dying as they flew to their little base on Crait. This meant that not only were they limited in number and supplies, but they would be trapped in a corner on this planet. Crait within minutes would be surrounded by both ships and communication blocks, so any distress signals would first be intercepted by The First Order.

This knowledge of security is what halted Kylo from immediately ordering an attack on the rebel base. He had Rey and with the Rebels cornered, so he decided it would be wiser for order to return to the flanks before any attacks proceed. This also gave him time to adjust to the new roles of Supreme Leader. And while he knew Snoke preferred to watch over operations instead of being in them, Kylo still felt it necessary to gather information and make rounds the way he'd done before the change of events.

He was in the middle of these rounds, being informed by command on the remaining energy levels of the ship, when the Force began to stir, fogging his mind all while making it alert. He blinked as she was there, sitting crossed legged in the middle of the floor. Her head was bowed and somehow the Force seemed to radiate off her in waves. This was the first time the Bond had ever been connected in the middle of a public setting so to make it not obvious, Kylo simply cleared his throat to get her attention. As cued, she looked up, and when their eyes met, a force hit his stomach making him double over in pain. The Bond flared instantaneously, signifying that Rey was experiencing the same thing.

Before anyone could question what was happening, Kylo raced to find solitude. He knew this was unprofessional and there would somehow be backlash on leaving a briefing, but he couldn't look weak in front of these people. That would cause more damage than what he was doing now. The closest room was a droid maintenance center. Luckily every droid was in operation so the room was vacant, well except for the girl still sitting on the floor in front of him. She hadn't moved and he could tell she was fighting against the pain that they were both still feeling.

"What is this?" Kylo gasped while bracing against a wall. It felt as if his stomach was trying to rip out of his abdomen.

"I... I don't know," Rey spoke through slightly gritted teeth. She tried staying strong herself but this feeling was unbearable. She first thought Kylo caused it, assuming it had been a new ability gained through the death of the Sith Lord but it wouldn't make sense if he was feeling it too. She reached down with a hand to shakily stand up, to approach Kylo. This pain may be strong but it won't stop her from facing the larger problem. "You lied. Maybe the Force is showing us how hopeless you truly are."

Kylo looked up to meet her eyes. "Or maybe it's realizing that you're willing to become a traitor." He studied her face, noticing every detail, watching how she reacted to this same pain. Kylo couldn't help but notice that even though he felt her confusion as well as her agony, she remained strong. She never once winced. Pathetic. While she was able to stand there, he was doubled over against a wall. He could hear Snoke's voice growling in the back of his mind calling him weak. A surge of anger forced Kylo to stand up. Reaching his full height, he looked down upon Rey and sneered. "Be ready scavenger, we have a very specific way of dealing with traitors like you."

Rey then finally winced, those words hitting her like a saber through the heart, but instead of letting them settle, she closed her eyes. Again going back to Luke's teachings, she took a deep breath and reached out to fill the hurt with the Light. Suddenly all the pain ceased with her stomach settling back to where it was supposed to be. Rey opened here eyes and realized the connection ended. Immediately though, the Light she had called upon began to dissipate as her true feeling began to solidify. It was not longer fear that formed, no, it was anger that seeped into her heart.

Kylo Ren gasped as the connection ended in a rush of energy, a sense of peace that seemed so foreign to him. His mind refused to accept it, repulsed by its pungent presence. Yet, when the pain subsided in his stomach and the Light settled around him, an inhale was all it took to feel the calmness it was so desperately offering. His anger seemed less powerful and his mind became less loud. Unsure of how to act, Kylo turned to leave. Too consumed with understanding the effects of the Light, he didn't realize his feet were leading him to the _Finalizer's_ containment units.

* * *

~ _Update: I still have no idea what I'm doing. Thank you for reading, and if you liked it (or didn't), don't be afraid to leave a review!~_


	3. Chapter 3

Rey stared at the glass in front of her. Staring back was her reflection, a gaze cold and unmoving, even as tears streaked the girl's cheeks. She had made a mistake, a mistake that would lead to the deaths of everyone who ever cared for her and all she could do was stare at a glass wall. Names of everyone who had ever given up something for her ripped through Rey's mind. She thought of Finn and his endless compassion, Luke and his unyielding vigilance, and Han, who would have been the closest thing to a father she may ever have. She had let them all down, abandoned them. Does this mean she is any better than the very monster she's trying to fight? No, Rey realized… she was pathetic and hopeless.

The doors opened to the containment center along with an atmosphere of fear. Troopers saluted their young supreme leader as he sauntered down the corridor to find the junk trader's unit. He didn't have a plan, much less know why he even came down here, but each step lead Kylo Ren closer and closer to Rey. The Force began to shudder as he approached her cell, almost as if it wanted to abandoned this encounter- as if it were unnatural.

Rey laid crumpled on the floor when he arrived. Nothing had changed since their last meeting, to the point that she was uncertain that he was actually there. Kylo looked down at the girl. Her face was streaky and red, nothing compared to the girl he had fought with only hours ago. For a second his heart broke when he looked at that face, but he quickly reminded himself that this was the enemy, the key to bringing down the resistance. Kylo crouched down to meet Rey's eyes, the eyes or a traitor.

"What do you know about the resistance?" he asked in a low voice.

She sneered in reply.

"It's a simple question," he said standing back up. "You have the information I want, and nothing but your life at stake." His arm threw forward, as the force picked the girl up to now meet him in the eye. "Do you honestly think they would care about some random orphan who stumbled in, made a mess of things, then disappeared?" Kylo took a step closer to the now trembling prisoner. "Did those years on Jakku teach you anything?"

Rey kept her gaze locked on to Kylo Ren, but sent her mind out to feel out the room. The Force was still quaking as she noted how many troops and what kind of tech was in the containment area. Kylo had left the door open when he walked in. It was an opportunity unto its own when Rey felt the strain on the force begin to break. She could feel cracks forming in waves of energy around her. If the scavenger wanted to survive, she knew what she needed to do.

"Yes," she breathed.

Rey then sent her mind out with the force felt every fault it and beat it as hard as she could. She broke apart the seams that were barely holding together during their encounter. In response, matter itself forgot how to function. The glass around them shattered, and the troopers flew back, hitting the wall. The grip holding her up faltered, dropping Rey back to the ground. With all her might, she threw a wave of force at the the stunned Kylo. His body unable to react flew and hit the console controlling her cell. His head cracked the side as an unconscious mass slumped to the floor.

Rey looked down at him and hissed "It taught me that I will never be trapped by someone else _ever_ again."

Not a heartbeat longer, she turned away and ran for the exit.

* * *

 _I still don't know what I'm doing. Yeehaw, I don;t own any of these characters._


End file.
